Apple has launched yet another privacy offensive which stresses the differences between its business model and that of Google and Facebook.
In a series of white papers published on Wednesday the company has set out the technical details behind its privacy features, which are not simply a marketing tactic for Apple but also a direct method of undercutting the business model of its largest tech rivals.
Among the most significant challenges to these rivals is the “Sign in with Apple” service, which allows users to conveniently sign-in with the tap of a button rather than by registering and confirming an email address.
Apple can and has offered its users superior privacy protections compared to Google and Facebook because it doesn\’t rely on advertising for revenue. Advertising depends on the collection of personal data so that ads can be better targeted. Not only do Google and Facebook know what you\’re up to, the website or app that you log into can also request a large amount of personal data associated with your account. Apple\’s alternative only grants access to a name and email address, and Apple doesn\’t profile users or monitor their activity. Users can opt to give the app or website a unique ID instead, which anonymises their account. This process is called \”tokenisation\”. The real question is whether Apple can catch up with Facebook and Google by convincing developers to add the \”sign in with Apple\” option to their websites. Twitter, LinkedIn, Amazon, and others also offer sign-in options but haven\’t kept pace with Facebook and Google.